Hughton thinks Albion are suffering their most testing time of the season

Ollie Berry

Chris Hughton thinks his Brighton & Hove Albion side are experiencing their most testing time in the Championship so far this season.

The second-place side have won just one of their last five in all competitions and were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Ipswich Town midweek.

Albion are targeting a return to winning ways on the road at Barnsley tomorrow, after three defeats and a draw from their past four away games, which could see them leapfrog Newcastle, who play Aston Villa on Monday, at the top of the table,

On whether this is their trickiest spell so far, the Seagulls boss said: “I think results say that.

“Away results predominantly in the last few weeks and certainly if I take the cup defeat into that one as well, but it is normal affairs during a season.

“It’s very difficult to go through a season where everything goes as you want it. One thing about a team and the challenges of a team are when thing are perhaps not going as well as you’d like is to change that, but also reiterate the good things you have done and have a look at some realism.

“The fact is we are in a position in the league that we would have been delighted to have been in at the start of the season and overall it has been a good season for us so far.

“But by our standards, It’s a more difficult period than we have been through and we need to get back to winning ways.”